TECUMSEH — About 20 people attended the presentation “Marijuana in the New Millenium,” hosted by the Tecumseh Coalition for Youth.

Most of those who attended are members of the coalition, which has been formed to address substance abuse issues in Tecumseh schools. Mayor Dick Johnson is one of the organizers.

“Today was mainly for members of the coalition to see what kind of information we are putting out there and putting into the schools,” he said.

Coalition development coordinator April Demers presented information on research into use of marijuana and briefly on Michigan’s medical marijuana law.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about marijuana and how it affects the brain and the nervous system,” Demers said. “We now have multiple years of research and information on the long-term effects of marijuana on brain function.”

She said the marijuana of today is much different than the type that was prevalent in the 1960s and 1970s. Testing and research has revealed that today’s marijuana is much more potent.

Research on long-term marijuana users has found tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the prevalent chemical in marijuana, stays in a person’s system much longer than alcohol. It affects fine motor skills, impairs short-term memory and is drawn to white blood cells, which impairs the ability to fight off infection.

Demers said debate continues over whether marijuana is a so-called gateway drug leading to more serious substances, such as over-the-counter drugs, heroin and cocaine.

“I see it as more of a gateway to another lifestyle,” she said. “We need to educate each other.”

Also at the presentation, Demers gave a quick overview of a program called Optimum Performance, an effort aimed at high school and college athletes that focuses on maintaining positive life choices. Presentations on the program, which is used by the United States Olympic Training Centers, will be scheduled in Tecumseh schools. Demers is going to Lake Placid, N.Y., for further training in the program.

The coalition is made up of community, school and business leaders formed to address substance abuse in the Tecumseh school district.

For more information on the Tecumseh Coalition for Youth, call 734-637-6485. The coalition’s next meeting will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, at Evans Street Station.